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Show WILSON 10 DEMAND EXPUGITANSVEB WILL INSIST ON DEFINITE STATf MENT FROM GERMANY ON RIGHTS OF NEUTRALS. Unfavorable Response to Next quiry Will Result in Severance of Diplomatic Relations and Pot. sibly Other Steps. Washington. President Wilson dj. termined on Tuesday that the United States must ascertain definitely and very promptly from Germany whether the imperial government intends it the future to be guided by the ac. cepted principles of international and the rights of neutrals or to foi. low its own rules of maritime war. fare. The president listened to a varied expression of opinion at a meeting 0! bis cabinet, taking little part in e discussion himself. Later he began the preparation of a note embodyij his own ideas and what seemed to him the consensus of opinion of tjs official family. The verdict of a majority of tie cabinet was that the German rep to the American note following the sinking of the Lusitania w unre. sponsive and unsatisfactory, that disregarded the good will of the United Unit-ed States, doubted its facts and disclaimed dis-claimed all blame for the destruction of the merchantman with America lives. The questions of fact raised Germany were regarded as irrelevant at litis time. The trend of opinion was that tie United States must inquire and obtain ob-tain an early answer as to whether Germany intends to recognize the hitherto accepted principle that neutrals neu-trals may travel anywhere on the high seas on unarmed merchant ship;, even if carrying contraband, and that merchantmen which do not res:;; capture must be visited and searched and the passengers aud crew transferred trans-ferred to a place of safety before the vessel is destroyed. An unfavorable answer to this inquiry in-quiry would lead, it was predicted in official quarters, to a severance of diplomatic relations on the grouni that the United States could not continue con-tinue intercourse with a goven.fr; which repudiated these principles. Steps then would be taken to iricm Americans of the dangers to which they w ere exposed as a result of this action and such measures as necessary neces-sary adopted to safeguard the lives and interests of citizens of the United States. Should Germany accept the prin-I prin-I ciple in a way that would constitute a guarantee for the future the American Amer-ican government would reiterate its demand for a "strict accountability" for violations of this principle and the killing of Americans in the torpedoing torpedo-ing without warning of the Lusi:ar.ia. |